Fox News Reporting: Countdown to Doomsday

By Fox News Reporting
Published November 15, 2012 | Fox News

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Mankind has long been fascinated with doomsday and hundreds of thousands of predictions have been made about the end of our world. While most of these are associated with the second coming of Christ, the focus is now on the Maya civilization of Southern Mexico and the end of their calendar on December 21, 2012 -- the coming Winter Solstice. Over 3,000 books and countless websites claim that the Maya predicted the Earth will be destroyed on this date.

• Preview clip: Decoding 'Maya Monument 6'

The scenarios are truly frightening: The Earth will be destroyed by colliding with an asteroid or being pulled into the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Others claim a galactic planetary alignment that will tear the Earth apart or the Earth's magnetic poles will shift and our planet will turn upside down.

• Producer's notebook: 'Mystery of the Maya'

"Fox News Reporting" correspondents began investigating the Countdown to Doomsday last June 21st on the Summer Solstice. Adam Housley reports from Palenque, the so-called "jewel of the Maya Classic Period," to find out what the Maya believed. Lauren Green travels to the battlefield of Armageddon where the Book of Revelation describes the final battles of good vs. evil. Amy Kellogg is at the prehistoric megalith Stonehenge to see the sun rise and ask the druids if they are there to celebrate or countdown to Doomsday.

• Assignment: Mexico Maya -- The producer's point of view

Understanding the New Testament's vision of the second coming of Christ is led by Fr. Mark Arey, whose recent translation of the Book of Revelation from Greek is now illustrated as a graphic novel. Archaeologist Eric Cline describes the doomsday battlefield of Armageddon. Evangelical preacher Marcus Lamb describes his belief that the end is truly near and he's even put up a live Internet camera in Jerusalem to capture Jesus' return.

It is a fact that the Maya calendar will end on December 21, 2012. But, don't believe the hype: The world is not about to end. Debunking the doomsday scenarios are astronomer Anthony Aveni, physicist Michio Kaku, archaeologist Christopher Powell and author Graham Hancock.

Plus, psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow tells why the idea of a doomsday is appealing to some people.


Fox News Reporting: Countdown to Doomsday | Fox News Reporting